Croatian taxi drivers protest against Uber » Manila Bulletin Business

Hundreds of Croatian taxi drivers blocked traffic Wednesday in the capital Zagreb to protest against the controversial ride-hailing app Uber they consider to be unfair competition and operating illegally.

Some 900 taxis, according to organizers, parked their vehicles in two lanes of the main Vukovarska avenue in the city center, demanding Uber to be banned.

Croatian taxi cars park in the main avenue in Zagreb, to protest against Uber (AFP | Manila Bulletin)

“We have exhausted all legal options and are left with only this,” said Bozo Miletic, a representative of the taxi drivers.

“Uber is illegal” and it should be banned in Croatia, he said.

They were supported by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who called ride-hailing apps such as Uber “contrary to Croatian legislation.”

Like in numerous other countries, Uber doesn’t consider itself a taxi service and hasn’t received a licence.

Plenkovic said that the law would be amended, but gave no further details.

Uber, which started operating in Croatia in 2015, said the protest caused “unacceptable pressure” during the tourist season.

According to the company, more than 100,000 people in the nation of 4.2 million use the Uber app.

Uber has announced the introduction of a boat service on Croatia’s Adriatic coast, due to be launched on Monday.

Earlier this month taxi drivers protesting against Uber blocked center of Warsaw. Similar protests have been organised in a number of European cities, including Paris, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona and Rome.